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Theophilia — How to draw a head in profile

Published: 2007-11-23 00:08:38 +0000 UTC; Views: 113742; Favourites: 1274; Downloads: 29488
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Description How to draw a head in profile (Lord Shadowblade style!) I hope you guys like this. I think the proportions are fine, maybe the relationship between the ear, bottom of the nose and lips (and chin may be a little off) but it'd just be more elongated which can be fixed easily. I've just found that drawing a circle first helps a lot to keep the facial profile stuff right. So there you go! (Ignore the random sketches, they have nothing to do with the drawing of the profile heads!)

1. First, draw a circle and then cut it into quarters like shown above. The horizontal line is your eyebrow and top-of-the-ear line and the vertical line also seperates the ear from the rest of the face.

2. Draw the (whatever that's called, the part of the jaw that bends sharply and comes out towards the chin) and draw a straight line down from the front of the face.

3. Draw an ear. This will help you with the other lines. Make sure it's big. Or else everything else will have to be small. At the bottom of the ear, draw a horizontal line to the front of the face. The will be your nose line. Now, see that space between the lines? That's how long your nose is! That's why the ear needs to be big. Then, where the jaw curves sharply, draw a horizontal line from that point to the front of the face.

4. Draw the nose first (then you'll know how much space to put between that and the eye) then draw your eyebrows and eyes. On the horizontal line coming from the jaw, draw your lip line then draw the lines of the lips.

5. Draw the hair lines (unless of course the person you are drawing is bald ) and finish up the basic features of the face.

6. (This is the best part!) Shade and add all the rest of the details that you like! Yeah! We're done!


I hope that wasn't too boring. If this helps improve anyone's artwork then it's served it's purpose. Or is found entertaining. I can go with that one too.

Hey! Idea! I challenge the people who see this to try this out and then send me a link so I can see it too! Whoop!
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Comments: 222

BadWord In reply to ??? [2008-05-19 21:28:04 +0000 UTC]

GAH!! THank you so much! This is the most helpful tutorial I've seen in a long time!!!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to BadWord [2008-05-19 21:37:19 +0000 UTC]

Wow! Thank you very much! I'm glad it's helpful!

Thanks for the ! Deus tecum!

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Randomdoomfoam In reply to ??? [2008-05-14 01:41:49 +0000 UTC]

THANK YOU! This saved me from drawing profiles horribly. I use it with reckless abandon.. XD

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Theophilia In reply to Randomdoomfoam [2008-05-14 20:40:47 +0000 UTC]

You're very welcome! Thanks for taking the time to voice your appreciation! Please go for it! I'm just happy that I can help people out in anyway possible. Thank you again! Deus tecum!

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FlyingCarpets In reply to ??? [2008-03-14 15:55:42 +0000 UTC]

i love you for making this : DDD

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Theophilia In reply to FlyingCarpets [2008-03-16 04:09:47 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! I'm glad you like it, and I hope you will be able to make practical use of it! Deus Tecum!

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sayokitsune In reply to ??? [2008-03-01 04:10:51 +0000 UTC]

Wow!! This helped me a lot, so much thanks!

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Theophilia In reply to sayokitsune [2008-03-02 00:46:12 +0000 UTC]

Oh! I am so glad it has! You are very welcome. And thanks for the too, it's very appreciated!

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Warlian In reply to ??? [2008-02-08 02:54:47 +0000 UTC]

thats realy cool way of doing that thanks man alot easier/better than how i was doing it

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Theophilia In reply to Warlian [2008-02-10 03:24:39 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome! I'm glad it's helping out people, always good to spread around technique. God Bless!

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blackcat101 In reply to ??? [2007-11-24 15:51:37 +0000 UTC]

that's really interesting! i've thought of doing that myself once before, but i haven't ever gotten 'round to it ^^ i love these things! they're so fun to watch :3 great job! 👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to blackcat101 [2007-11-24 23:16:54 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

blackcat101 In reply to Theophilia [2007-11-25 03:11:58 +0000 UTC]

you're welcome

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superclone In reply to ??? [2007-11-23 10:59:35 +0000 UTC]

thats so awesomee this could sooo help mee ! thank uu

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superclone In reply to superclone [2007-11-27 06:25:23 +0000 UTC]

sooooo trueee ive always wanted to draw normal horses mine always turn out pathetic loll ! thank u againn !

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Theophilia In reply to superclone [2007-11-23 13:19:55 +0000 UTC]

I'm glad it'll help! Once you get into the habit of drawing profile heads like this it gets super fast and you won't even think of the steps. I just think it's really cool how the face lines up together so much. (next time you look at someone's face, look at how the top of the ear and eyebrow line up, and the nose and the ear. It's pretty cool!) I'm thinking of doing something like this for horses because I know a lot of people like to draw horse and want (maybe) some easier steps to do it. Horses are a very popular item to draw!

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Murrauddin In reply to ??? [2007-11-23 08:14:16 +0000 UTC]

You're a bit like Villard de Honnecourt : [link]

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Theophilia In reply to Murrauddin [2007-11-23 13:28:16 +0000 UTC]

I clicked on the link but it was some strange URL thing....wouldn't let me see the site. Sorry.

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Murrauddin In reply to Theophilia [2007-11-23 14:46:04 +0000 UTC]

I'm sorry , maybe I've printed the addres in a wrong way!

Please, try this: [link]

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harumeau In reply to ??? [2007-11-23 05:31:54 +0000 UTC]

Interesting. I always start with the eye and then from that draw their eyebrow and nose, which then helps me to place the ears and mouth correctly, which then shows how the jaw line should go. Then I draw their forehead, making sure their eyes are pretty much in the middle of their head. I guess it's a bit more spontaneous. Though this way would be quite useful as well. I might try it sometime.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Theophilia In reply to harumeau [2007-11-23 13:26:52 +0000 UTC]

I only do it this way for profile. When I'm just drawing a head not in profile, I just draw an oval for the head (which may change depending on how wide, or not-as-wide-as-they-should-be shoulders are) then I draw lines across the face similar to the lines on the profile, so I know where to put the eyes, nose, ears, etc. Though sometimes I just spontaneously draw eyes, eyebrows, etc but when I do that I'm usually doodling, and my faces are all disfigured!

If you try it, send me a link! It's also good just so you know where the nose, ear, eyebrows are in relation to each other. It's good to know that there is a relationship! If you guys really like this I'll try to do some more "How to-Shadowblade style" things. Hey! If there's something you'd like an easier way to draw something, (or draw it at all) then send me a comment or something and if I can draw it ( ) then I'll put it up here.

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